attributable to not

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "attributable to not" is not correct in standard written English.
It is unclear and does not convey a complete thought, making it difficult to use effectively in writing. Example: "The issues we faced were not attributable to not following the guidelines."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

Even where vehicle fleets are new with high airbag prevalence, but safety culture and knowledge of restraints is less than robust, injury attributable to not wearing seatbelts is frequent, especially in countries where high-powered vehicles are prevalent.

Survey of Ophthalmology

"The last thing New York needs is for there to be a subway crash because of a signal failure which was directly attributable to not being vigilant enough in testing".

Huffington Post

The excess stillbirth risk, attributable to not sleeping under a bed net was 33 (95% CI: 17, 49) per 1,000.

Plosone

The excess early neonatal death risk attributable to not sleeping under bed nets was 38 (95% CI: 21, 56) per 1,000.

Plosone

This is likely attributable to not only the known predictors determined in multivariate analysis, but also the lack of compliance with recommendations by the attending physician.

Cancer Medicine

Adding either not being overweight or not having a large waist circumference, nearly 9 in 10 new cases of type 2 diabetes appeared attributable to not being in the low-risk group for one or more of these lifestyle factors.

Diabetes Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

The collision was not therefore attributable to his not having a certificate.

Harvard University

You might expect Gordon Ramsay's debut New York restaurant to be brash and any of its shortcomings to be attributable to audacity, not timidity.

The New York Times - Food

The next paragraph was one sentence: "You might expect his debut New York restaurant to be brash and any of its shortcomings to be attributable to audacity, not timidity".

The New Yorker

Third, including the costs of climate change attributable to aviation (not shown), emissions are associated with higher damage costs when compared to noise.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

You might expect his debut New York restaurant to be brash and any of its shortcomings to be attributable to audacity, not timidity.

The New York Times - Food

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When revising your writing, pay close attention to instances of "attributable to not" and consider whether a clearer, more direct phrasing would enhance readability and impact.

Common error

Avoid using overly convoluted constructions like "attributable to not". Prioritize clarity and conciseness by directly stating the cause and effect.

Linguistic Context

The phrase's intended function is to establish a causal relationship, indicating that something is the result of an omission or lack of something else. Ludwig examples show attempts to pinpoint cause-and-effect, though with questionable grammar.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

64%

News & Media

27%

Academia

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "attributable to not" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. While it attempts to establish a causal relationship, it is often unclear and can be replaced with more precise alternatives like "due to the lack of" or "resulting from a failure to". Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is non-standard. Although the examples from Ludwig appear in scientific and news media contexts, this does not validate its correctness. Therefore, it is advisable to use more direct and grammatically sound alternatives to improve clarity and maintain professionalism in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

due to lack of

Replaces "attributable to not" with a clearer indication of cause related to an absence.

caused by absence of

Specifies causation stemming from the non-existence or deficiency of something.

resulting from a failure to

Highlights the consequence of not performing an action or meeting a requirement.

because of the absence of

Clearly states the cause as the non-presence of a specific element or condition.

arising from not

Indicates an outcome originating from the omission or negation of something.

stemming from non-compliance with

Emphasizes the origin as failure to adhere to rules or standards.

consequent to not

Highlights a result following the non-performance of an action.

as a result of failing to

Pinpoints the outcome's origin as not fulfilling a certain action.

owing to the omission of

Indicates the causation as the neglect or overlooking of something.

traceable to not

The source of something can be found in the omission or the lack of

FAQs

How can I rephrase "attributable to not" to improve clarity?

Consider using phrases like "due to the lack of", "caused by the absence of", or "resulting from a failure to" for greater clarity and grammatical correctness.

What are some alternatives to "attributable to not" in formal writing?

In formal writing, opt for alternatives such as "resulting from non-compliance with", "owing to the omission of", or "consequent to not". These phrases offer a more sophisticated and precise way to express causation.

Is "attributable to not" grammatically correct?

No, "attributable to not" is not considered grammatically correct in standard written English. It's recommended to use clearer and more direct alternatives.

What's a simple way to avoid using "attributable to not"?

Instead of using "attributable to not", try framing your sentence to directly state the cause. For example, instead of "The problem was attributable to not following instructions", say "The problem resulted from a failure to follow instructions" or simply "The problem was due to not following instructions".